Recipe courtesy of Asian Food Network
The classic Christmas roast, deliciously basted and stuffed to perfection.
Ingredients
Serves 12
- 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter (room temperature, plus more for baking dish)
- 1/3 cup minced fresh sage and 4 whole sprigs (plus more sprigs for serving)
- 2 tbsp minced fresh thyme and 4 whole sprigs (plus more sprigs for serving)
- 2 tsp finely grated orange zest, plus 1/4 cup juice and 4 large strips zest (from 2 oranges)
- 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 heritage-breed turkey, 14 to 16 pounds (room temperature)
- 14 cups stuffing (use your favourite recipe)
- 1 slice bread (optional)
- 2 cups dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
- assorted citrus (for garnish, optional).
Instructions
1. Preheat oven and season turkey
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C, with the rack on the bottom.
- Mash together the butter, minced sage and thyme and grated zests with one tablespoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper. Pat the turkey dry. Loosen the skin of the breast and thighs and rub the herb mixture under the skin. Season inside the cavity and outside with salt.
2. Stuff turkey
- Fill the cavity and neck end lightly with stuffing. Insert the bread slice in the neck cavity to conceal the stuffing (optional).
- Secure the cavity with toothpicks or skewers. Transfer the remaining stuffing to a one-quart buttered baking dish; cover with parchment-lined foil.
- Tie the legs and tuck the wing tips under. Transfer the bird to a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Bring wine, orange juice, orange-zest strips, whole sage, thyme sprigs and 2.5 cups of water to a boil. Dampen a double layer of cheesecloth with the wine mixture and drape over the turkey. Pour the remaining liquid into a roasting pan.
3. Roast turkey
- Roast the turkey for 30 minutes; baste with pan juices. Reduce the temperature to 180 degrees C and roast for 30 minutes more. Remove the cheesecloth and baste.
- Continue roasting, basting the bird and rotating the pan every 30 minutes until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) registers 65 degrees to 70 degrees (for a conventional turkey, 75 degrees).
- Continue roasting for about an hour and 30 minutes more, adding water to the pan as needed to prevent scorching (if the bird is browning too quickly, tent it with foil).
- Transfer the turkey to a platter and let it stand for 45 minutes.
4. Bake remaining stuffing
- Meanwhile, bake the remaining stuffing until heated through (removing the foil halfway through for a crunchy top) for about an hour.
Plate and serve
- Garnish the platter with the remaining herb sprigs and citrus, if desired.
Asian Food Network
